Three-time offender Richard Blakeley had online child porn

A businessman found to have more than 7,000 indecent images of children on his computer at work has been jailed for 12 months.

Leeds Crown Court heard yesterday Richard Blakeley, 46, already had two previous convictions for similar offences when police seized his computer at BJR Framing in Bradford Road, Batley.

He was banned from looking at indecent images of youngsters under a previously imposed Sexual Offences Prevention Order but analysis of the computer then revealed a total of more than 7,000.

Blakeley, 46, of William Royd Lane, Heckmondwike, admitted 15 charges of possessing indecent images and being in breach of the order.

Judge Paul Hoffman said there had to be a jail term. "It is quite plain to me you have shown a blatant disregard for the law. Not only did you persist in your offending but did so in the teeth of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order from the last court."

Blakeley must register as a sex offender and a further prevention order was imposed without time limit.

Gerald Hendron, prosecuting, said on December 14, 1999 at Dewsbury Magistrates, Blakeley was jailed for 16 weeks for possessing six indecent images of children.

On March 23, 2005 Blakeley was back before the same court and fined £220 for 21 similar offences when the Sexual Offences Prevention Order was imposed.

The most recent offences came to light after police visited his home and business addresses on January 31, 2006 and the images were recovered from the computer seized at work.

Interviewed by police, Blakeley claimed that he had not deliberately downloaded the images of children but they arrived when he was looking at adult gay porn.

Robin Frieze, for Blakeley, said he now accepted he was looking at images of naked children.

He realised that deviant aspect of his personality was destructive for him and he was motivated to accept help for it.

Yorkshire Post